Major cities of Asturias

Three modern cities to enjoy

Well-known are the three most important cities of Asturias: Oviedo, Gijón and Avilés. But here we give you some clues in case you are not clear where to start a quick visit to each one of them. Ideas to visit the essential, do not leave the important thing to see and enjoy.

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The visit began in Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias, followed by Gijón, the largest population, and ended in Aviles, the town of the Adelantado, industrial city that has undergone a regeneration in recent decades and has become a modern city.

What to do in Oviedo in one day

· The historical centre of Oviedostill maintains the old taste of the 19th century, in comparison with the predominant modernism of the rest of the Spanish’s cities.
The Oviedo’s Cathedral has only one tower yet it stills stands tall and swelling with pride. In this square the famous market of “les madreñes” was established, becoming one of the social meeting points in the old Oviedo.

In many ways, Oviedo still has the appearance of the old times that Leopoldo Alas “Clarín” portrayed so well in his famous novel, “La Regenta”.

· The CathedralThe first work on the building began in the begining of the 14th century on top of the ruins of some preromanic and romanic basilicas. All over this period, the cathedral of Oviedo had received numerous pilmigrages and it had become one of the most important stops on the way to Santiago, thanks to well conserved relics.

The cathedral has only one tower, due to the fact that, the architects had some unexpected problems during the construction. The rest of the European gothic cathedrals always show two towers instead of one. The 80 metre tall tower was built with less money than they had expected, and they underwent a lot of technical problems and seismic movements of the ground.

· Fontán: the most popular market in OviedoIn the heart of the old Oviedo, this space keeps the primitive tradition of the capital of Asturias and is with no doubt, one of the most popular places of this Principado and also one of its best patrimonial jewels. In its origins, this area was a natural lagoon that was in the outskirts of this city. This lagoon was filled in by natural springs. Its name comes from the main spring (fuente=fontán) that made its water flow into the lagoon. The nobles of this city convert this place into a recreational area.

What to do in Gijón

Gijón, is a dynamic city and it is populated by friendly people. Here we can find kites, surf boards, skates, bikes, football, footing, sand castles, sports champions, beach chairs, sunshades and many people. Despite being a city, Gijón keeps the character of those small villages. The kind character of its people, the lack of stress and its unique landscape make this city a really charming place.

This city has a warm climate with a yearly average temperature of 15 degrees (15ºC). Suitable conditions to enjoy the local life at any season.

Beach of San Lorenzo
The walk by Muro and the beach of San Lorenzo draw one of the most beautiful sea sights of all Asturias. This is the beach of San Lorenzo during summer time but in winter, the walk of Muro is a good referent for walking, relaxing and practising sports such as surfing or swimming.
By the eastern limit of the beach of San Lorenzo, we can see the walk of Muro which is longer than the beach itself. This is the coastal walk of Cervigón. It is more than two kilometres long and leads us to the beaches of Rinconín and Peñarrubia.

Romans ruins of Gijón
Conquering Asturias for the Romans was not easy task, coming to irritate Augusto, who appeared in the area mobilizing seven extra legions. Definitive submission would arrive in 19 BC and Rome would leave in Gijón the imprint of its architecture and way of life: the thermal baths of Campo Valdés, the Roman villa of Veranes or the fecund archeology of the Campa Torres.

Whay to do in Avilés

Avilés is a city to discover. The preconceived image of this big village is even for most asturians, of an industrial city in decline. Although its aerial physiognomy proves a clear industrial area, the centre of this village hides a huge historical patrimony and a beautiful urban centre. Now its urban centre is also restructured and shows a splendorous and beautiful architecture that competes with its industrial component.

The avilesina gastronomy will surprise us pleasantly. Here in Avilés we can taste all the delicious local food in restaurants and cider bars. We can taste seafood, pots, beans, and traditional local desserts.

Niemeyer Centre
On December 15, 2010, it opened its doors for the first time on the occasion of Óscar Niemeyer’s 103rd birthday, the famous Brazilian architect who years ago agreed to give Avilés this project as a thank you to the 1989 Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts .
It rises on the right bank of the Aviles estuary. It is a place open to the world and culture, a project to regenerate a deeply industrial city in the twentieth century that aspires to aesthetic and post-industrial reconversion in the XXI.